Echo the gecko has been with us for about two years. While some families adopted new dogs and cats during the covid lockdown, our youngest lobbied for a lizard. He determined the eyelash crested variety to be the best fit for our family. They're not shy, plus they can lick their own eyeballs. It was a no-brainer.
Echo enjoys a tall tank adorned with soil and hanging moss. They eat crickets and slurp on a pasty fruit concoction. Between the heat lamp and our misting routine, we hope they find conditions to be suitably humid. Similar to the climate of southern New Caledonia, an island off the coast of Australia? Probably not, but we try.
Sometime between 1866 and 1994, crested geckos slipped off the grid. Echo's cousins--those sneaky devils--managed to go unseen by humans for decades. What a life they lived, jumping from tree to tree in the South Pacific rainforests. All the fruit and insects they could eat. Fire ants are a menace, but compared to the mess man was making, the geckos did right to keep their distance from us. Looking around today, I wonder if they're rethinking their come-back.
Ages ago, I read that gazing into my dog's eyes releases oxytocin, a love hormone, in both of us. In the morning, I greet Echo too. They sit atop a log, basking in the warmth and rain, and look at me wide-eyed (the absence of eyelids should be noted). In one eternal moment, we stare into the depths of our shared earthly experience.
The lifespan of a gecko in captivity is up to 20 years. My youngest is set to move out in about 6. Echo and me--it looks like we have time to ponder this twisted world together.
What a lovely post! I did not know all this about geckos. My son had a leopard gecko for quite a few years and I also had geckos in my classroom. They are interesting to watch, though I got very tired of buying crickets for them.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you won't need to worry about letting an empty nest bring you down for quite some time. I'm glad you and Echo see eye to eye.
ReplyDeleteYou had me laughing at loud at this gecko tribute. Growing old with my adopted gecko may not be my first choice but that eyeball licking might do it for me. Thank you for this post on a dreary, opposite of heat lamp kind of day.
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